Skating Inspires Me

Last night my dear friend The Corporate Yogini and I attended the US Nationals Figure Skating Ladies Short Program. We had so much fun and spotted so many pros and former skaters.

I have always been so inspired by the skaters and the beauty that is skating. It touches so many of my senses - I love the flow and grace and movement across the ice. The classical music is so soothing to my soul. I am also inspired by their passion and dedication.

So - who did we see? Kristy Yamaguchi, Dick Button, Jamie Sale, David Pellitier, Nancy Kerrigan, Todd Eldredge, Scott Hamilton, Tannith Belbin, Tai Babilonia, Randy Gardner and I'm not sure but I think I saw Oksana Baiul fly by in a big white fur coat :-)

Thank you Beth!

Loving it too!

It is so cold, she begged me to put it on her :-) Just kidding, but she didn't complain. And as we walked along outside she was quite chipper and her tail was wagging the whole time. Yes, it is colder than cold here in the north - around 3 or 4 degrees when this picture was taken. Now the temperature is 2. Right now my back is to a window where the sun is shining in - warming my back but my feet are freezing.

I love Marya's post today. I love Minnesota too. I also love a good blizzard. NOTHING BETTER! Especially when you have enough good food in the house to last a week, a fireplace and hot chocolate.

I will be enjoying the cold, cold weekend with joy all around. I'll give Marya a call and we can talk about how much we love it!

The Yoga Cardinal

I teach yoga at a corporation. We have moved the class many times to different rooms as the company grows and expands. Our newest location is a big room with nice big windows. It is a great space. There is a tree outside of the window. Last week I was hearing this noise and looked over to the window. The cardinal was flying from the tree to the window. He would peck at the window. Then fly back to the tree. Again and again and again. I thought it was quite cute. I think he likes our yogic energy!

He was at it again today.

I hope he is there next week too.

I dedicated our practice to him. May he have a warm place to sleep tonight - it is really cold outside.

Come Alive!

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~ Howard Thurman

What makes you come alive? Is it something you do everyday? If not, do it everyday and see how alive you become.

Day 7 - Flexibility and Strength

This is my year for strength. I am very flexible (actually you could call it hypermobile). I can get into just about any yoga pose. I can dislocate on request. To balance that out I need a lot more strength in my body. Strength to hold my joints together (I also have ligaments that are very stretched and do not hold my ball and sockets together very firm). Lots going on here! Tonight (while watching my new favorite TV show) I did yoga with some arm balances thrown in.

First I started out with my usual child's pose for surrender and moved on to neck stretches and shoulder rolls while in vajrasana. Next came down dog and plank back to down dog and then into Vasisthasana (without adding the top leg). That felt great! Next to Tittibasana since it has been a while and I really like this pose.

Then moving to seated baddha konasana and upavista konasana. I noticed a little tightness in my legs so I moved to Warrior II and here taking the time to work on my strength. I kept bending my knee slowly to get all the way into the pose. Next to Tadasana for quite some time and focused on Sunrise Earth - so beautiful!

Next came Siddhasana -wow. I was reading Light on Yoga (there are around 3 pages devoted to just this pose alone) and according to Iyengar, this pose purifies the 72,000 nadis, calming nervous energy . I was feeling a lot of wild energy last week so I decided to stay here for a while again focusing on Sunrise Earth. It is also one of the most relaxing of the asanas. I must have been feeling very calm and relaxed because I turned around and my little dog was laying right next to me on the floor, very calm and peaceful. She caught the peace!

Iyenger also writes that Siddha is and inspired sage, seer or prophet. So interesting that I picked this pose today because I have been very inspired all day.

I ended with a short savasana. I will do a restorative child's pose and longer savasana tonight before sleep.

Sunrise Earth

OK, so the new TV isn't so bad. I found DiscoveryHD - HD Theater channel last night and saw a commercial for a show called Sunrise Earth. Every morning at 6:00am for an hour they show the sunrise from a beautiful place on the earth. This morning it was Skellig Michael Ireland. For one hour I was on the cliffs, listening to the ocean and the birds calling, watching the sun rise. It was spectacular. I cannot begin to do it justice here - all I can say is - if you have access to it, watch it. I love the ocean and I felt like I was there.

Then I remembered this quote:

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~ Rachel Carson

As I was watching this, contemplating its beauty, it was inspiring me, filling me up. I did feel strong and full of energy. I also felt hopeful and appreciative. It do not know of a better way to start my day (except BEING there - but it was so true, I felt it). I had a truly inspired day today and I'm pretty sure it was because of this experience.

My yoga mat will be right in front of that TV tonight with Sunrise Earth. I always wanted to do yoga in beautiful places and I can make that happen right now in my family room.

Day 6 - Finally Surrender and Svadhyaya

The past week has been one of much to do. When I am in that place, it easy to become very ungrounded. It is hard for me to slow down once I get going. My energy pings around my body, it feels like it is stuck in me, bouncing around with no way to get out. It is when I need to stop and do whatever I need to do to JUST FEEL GOOD. I finally saw that STOP sign yesterday and obeyed my own law.

Today has been a day for my relaxation, my self study or svadhyaya. I wrote in my journal upon waking and then read a little bit of Wayne Dyer's "Change Your Thoughts...". I was so relaxed that I fell asleep again! When I woke up (again!) it was time for breakfast and after that, a long, hot bath. THEN came my yoga practice. Because I am feeling so tired and "pingy" I focused on very grounding and meditative poses. Child's Pose and restorative, Sukhasana, Vajrasana, Baddha Konasana and a Cobra or two. Each pose received time for calm and quiet reflection. It was delicious. Call me GROUNDED.

Today's practice is dedicated to all THE MUSES.

I will be trying something new tonight - I will fill you in tomorrow.

Prop, Surrender, Restore

Wow - another day gone by! It's 10:00pm and practice not yet complete. It will be the same practice as yesterday - Restorative Child's Pose and Legs Up the Wall followed by a long Savasana.

Usually, I am not one for restorative poses. I have a hard time letting go - surrendering. I want to be in control. I want to hold my body here and there. I am not a big fan of props and you use A LOT of props in restorative yoga. I get irritated folding blankets. I get irritated trying to place the props in the proper places. I also have a sensitivity to wool and all the wool particles flying around in the air make my skin crawl. All around, restorative does not leaving me feel restored - except for last night.

I took my favorite bolster - the one that started out as my favorite because I like how it looks - and put it on top of an over-sized body pillow on top of my bed and got into restorative child's pose. It took about 20 seconds for me to let go and relax - new record! I was shocked, I was elated, I was TIRED! After that I moved to the floor and did into legs up the wall with the same bolster (which is now more to me than just pretty to me - I actually like using this bolster). Then pushed my body off the bolster and rested my legs on the bolster in Sukasana. It was then time for SAVASANA. Another one I often find challenging - the whole surrender thing again. I must have surrendered because it felt great!

The props may not be so bad after all :-)

Oops! I forgot to dedicate my practice last night. I dedicate it to ME!

My practice tonight is dedicated to my friends Tammy and Aleia - having fun in Hawaii!

Good night.

Day 4 - January 4

I have THROWN myself into WoYoPracMo! I have been so inspired. I have been going deeper into my poses. My practices have been much longer. It carried over to my teaching as I taught a very intense class yesterday. Put that together with a car accident and a recovering back and what do you have - much pain!

These last few days have been very busy for me and my body is not having any more of it. Tonight, after a long HOT bath, it will be Viparita Karani for me. I am so excited to put my body on that bolster and feel the release and relax that I know will come over me. Actually, I'll start with a restorative child's pose - that sounds delicious! Why not give myself a big boost of surrender first? I'll end with a long savasana.

Good night.

January 3 - Day 3 WoYoPracMo

I taught yoga this afternoon. The class was focused on opening the shoulders and chest. I usually do yoga along with my class - though not all of the poses. I will also take time to walk around and adjust or encourage. Usually on the days I teach I do not do another Asana practice. If anything, I'll do a meditation, breathing, Viparita Karani on a bolster or a long savasana before I go to sleep.

This afternoon it was pranayama. I do Laura's pranayama online classes - they are great. I laid down on my family room floor and focused on my breath. My dogs love it when I'm down on the floor with them. Riley, my very affectionate dog, came over and laid his neck across mine. While I love his sweetness, I can't breathe! So after I shooed him away I was able to start breathing. It took me a little bit to relax and let go but finally I got to that place. It was wonderful - like a little mini nap, although I was not sleeping.

WoYoPracMo has been a wonderful experience so far (yes, after only 3 days). I have "met" so many wonderful people. I love learning about them and their life stories. I also love hearing about their practice - it is very inspiring!

Wylie Coyote!

This is so wonderful. Very similar to how my little dogs "get crazy" and run wild.

The beginning...

There is something so inspiring about the beginning of the year. A new beginning and a fresh start. I am so inspired and I feel so clean and clear now. It is wonderful.

Today is day two of WoYoPracMo. I started off with a warm bath this evening. It is very cold here in the north and I have been chilled to the bone most of the day. Yoga in the bath tub is a new thing for me. Obviously, I am unable to do a lot but it is amazing what you can do!

Today I was feeling very much the same about my practice as yesterday. My body really wanted forward folding. I started out in child's pose again with the sandbag on my lower back. Child's pose is not one of my favorites - too much surrender I think. I really focused on letting go, which was my intention - JUST LET GO! Then I moved into table with the sandbag still in place and did some simple spine warm-ups, then into down dog. Up high on the "necks" of the toes again and then into half down dog.

I like to take my down dog into Uttanasana by just stepping my feet up. Then into Padangusthasana back to down dog and then to lunges then back to down dog. From down dog to Warrior II and then Trikonasana and that's it for the standing! Then to what I crave - seated forward folds.

Started out in Janu Sirsasana resting my torso on both sides of my leg then up to Baddha Konasana. Next was Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana. Next, lotus preps for the most delicious pose of all, Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana. I could stay here forever but then came Marichyasana I, another winner, and then to Paschimottanasana. I followed that up with Marichyasana III and then a new one I have never done before, Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana. Iyengar write in Light On Yoga that it relieves severe backaches. After doing it, I would agree. My back has been a little sore and it felt great after that pose. Then legs up the wall. I really felt the surrender in my body. I think the great bolster helps too. Finally Savasana.

Before I go to sleep I will finish off with some guided pranayama from Laura. I like Breathing the Body. That should help me on my way to a great night of sleep.

My practice today is dedicated to two sweet little kids, Sierra and Zack. Feel better soon!

January 1 - Day One

This day did not go as I expected it would. Lesson #1 for the New Year, have no expectations! Hubby and I spent most of the day getting the family room ready for the new TV. Rearranging, clutter clearing, organizing - big day. Around 4:00 my mother-in-law came over for dinner. Then I made dessert (I'll post the recipe later - my favorite), and then we plopped ourselves down on the sofa to partake in the end of The Twilight Zone marathon (with tea - Evening in Missoula from TeaSource). I was a fabulous day but it wasn't over yet - my yoga mat was waiting!

Since the day was very active and I was very tired I decided to focus on soothing asanas for tonight - my favorite - seated poses and seated forward folds.

I started out in child's pose with a sandbag on my lower back and set my intention - that this is the first of 31 (and hopefully forever more) wonderful practices.

I then moved into down dog and gave myself a good stretch. I love to do something Jo Zukovich taught in a workshop. Get up really high on the "necks" of the toes and point the sit bones up toward the ceiling. My down dog has never been so fabulous!

Next came Baddha Konasana at the wall and then into a forward fold - ahhhh. Followed up with Marichyasana I, Janu Sirsasana, and Paschimottanasana. All part of my favorite forward folding series. I stayed in each one for quite some time - loving every moment. Then onto Apanasana followed by Jathara Parivartanasana. Ending with legs up the wall - for a long time :-) and then Savasana. So interesting - when I was in legs up the wall - all I could think about was this new year and all the things I want to do. Instead of relaxing and preparing for sleep - I was doing just the opposite.

Time to turn in. Great day, great practice. Can't wait until tomorrow.

My practice tonight is dedicated to my friend Sarah.